Marry Bells
by Princess Andromeda II
Summary: The phrase is "May the merry bells keep ringing," but the better word here might be "marry". Percy Jackson has got the perfect romantic evening planned out, and the perfect idea for how to end the year 2015, and to start 2016. But will all his plans go to waste, when he gets too nervous to do anything, let alone "pop the question"? Read to find out! Percabeth one-shot for New Year!


**Hey guys! HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2016 is here (or almost here, depending on where you are), so I thought we could all celebrate with this little Percabeth one-shot I've cooked up (although it's not really "little"; it's actually the longest chapter/one-shot I've ever written- over 6,000 words, and 10 pages on Google Docs!) This is also my 12th story in my competition for myself to write 12 stories by the end of the year, and I did it with...1 hour and 24 minutes to spare! Anyway, please read on, and enjoy! And HAPPY NEW YEAR!**

"Percy!" she scolded with a slight frown on her face, the edges of her delicate mouth turned down at the corners. Clearly, she was not happy.

"What?"

"What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" he asked, somewhat defensively. "I'm popping off this champagne cork!"

Annabeth stared at her boyfriend incredulously, a look of doubt clearly visible on her lightly tanned face. "I'm pretty sure that's not how you open a wine bottle."

"Pfft! Of course it is!" Percy continued to use the scissors to snip away at the cork wedged tightly in the rim of the bottle. The poor thing, it appeared as if it had just been through a war of disastrous proportions, preferably one involving a raggedy pair of scissors and a highly unqualified barber, as its edges were all bruised and battered, and several large chunks were missing from the top.

"Percy," Annabeth tried, desperately attempting to save what had once been a handsome champagne bottle, "why don't you try something else? Maybe open it like how you're supposed to?!"

"No thanks, Wise Girl, I think I've got it now," he said as he tossed away the scissors like an old, discarded pair of shoes. He really must have been focused on opening the bottle, all his concentration on that, because he certainly didn't seem to be aware of how close the pair of sharp scissors had come to slicing Annabeth's face.

"Percy!" she cried, an unpleasant mixture of fear and anger battling on her face, as if she couldn't decide whether or not to cry from the idea that she nearly could've blinded, or slap her boyfriend for it.

Either way, the obvious vehemence in the words she spoke was enough to make Percy pause temporarily from his project and look up at her, concern in his eyes. "Yes, Wise Girl?"

"I-" she started, but only finished with a sigh. "Never mind."

He looked at her expectantly, but when she folded her arms in finality, he just shrugged and continued trying to scoop out the cork with a spoon.

"I don't really think that a spoon is going to work either, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth pointed out. When he didn't respond, to intensely focused on his hands, the bottle, and the spoon, she rolled her eyes in slight annoyance, then glanced around her in surprise.

"Hey Percy," she said, a future question palpable in her tone. "Where do you think everyone is?"

He paused long enough from his task to look up at her. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, it's New Year's Eve, and nobody is here except the two of us."

"So?"

"So," she said, gesturing wildly around them, "it's New Year's Eve, and we're on the fireworks beach, where, on New Year's Eve, fireworks would normally be going off, and everyone at camp would be here to watch them."

"Oh," he nodded, seemingly unconcerned, as he returned to trying to pop the cork. "Well, I suggested to my assistant camp director that we have the fireworks on the other side of Long Island, and Jason seemed cool with it."

"What? Why?" Annabeth asked, confused. As far as she knew, they had set off fireworks- specially crafted by the Hephaestus cabin- on the beach every New Year's Eve, for as long as she could remember. It was camp tradition. Why would he change it all of a sudden?

He shrugged, not quite meeting her eyes. "So we could enjoy our date in peace."

"Really?" She asked incredulously. She glanced around, looking up and down the beach. It went miles in either direction, and there wasn't a soul besides she and her boyfriend in sight. "The entire beach to ourselves?"

"Sure," he said with a sly, teasing wink. "Only the best for you, babe."

She sighed in slight annoyance, also fairly bemused though she wouldn't admit that. Looking around, she seemed startled.

It seemed to have gotten cold very fast, as only an hour or so ago it had been in the low 60's. Now it was nearing the 40's, it seemed; although, she really was both impressed and surprised that it had stayed this nice for so long. After all, they were staying in New York, and it seemed the winters here were always irritatingly cold. Even the shore of Camp Half-Blood, whose weather gamut was designed only to range between mildly brisk and a warm sweat, had taken on an unusually frigid temperature. The movement of the air, too, was abnormally excited. As a sudden gust of wind traveled in from the north of Long Island Sound, Annabeth wrapped her arms around herself, shivering slightly from the chill creeping onto her skin, forming little colonies of goosebumps on the surface and making her hair stand up on end.

After a few minutes passed by of her attempting to "rough it" in the chilly night air, the daughter of Athena had decided that she was tired of standing out in the cold for no reason. There was no reason to try to withstand the inexplicable chill, when the short distance from here on the fireworks beach was not that far off from the Athena Cabin, where Annabeth had several sweaters and jackets. The walk, presumably a mile or so, would probably take around a maximum of 15 minutes to walk, 10 if she ran.

"Hey, Percy," she said, already walking past her boyfriend where he knelt on the ground, the champagne bottle and metal spoon both gripped tightly in his rough hands. She flushed just thinking about it, but told herself it was from the cold. "I'm going to head up to my cabin for just a second to grab a jacket or something."

"Mmhmm," he murmured, obviously distracted, along with a few more mutterings of confusion. "That's nice. You have fun!"

She lingered for a moment longer, asking, "Are you sure you don't need any help?"

"Mmhmm, that's nice. Have fun!"

"Fine," she sighed, as she turned her back on him, well out of earshot now. Then, with a sort of bitter sarcasm in her voice, she whispered to herself in a hushed tone, "Thanks for listening to me."

Although his mind was elsewhere, Percy's eyes and hands stayed trained on what he was doing for an entire minute before he looked up. He'd wanted to wait long enough for her to be out of both earshot and eyesight, but just in case, he took one final glance towards the hill that Annabeth had used as her mode of transportation, and spied her head of beautiful, long blonde hair disappearing down the other side. Content that she was nowhere near him now, he set down the items he'd previously been focused on, and pulled out something else.

It was a small box built in the shape of a cube, no longer or wider than the length of a thumb. Other than a sea-green ribbon wrapped around the grey box- more of a silver color, really- and tied on top into a big, lovely bow, there were no other decorations. It was relatively plain, relatively unassuming, you might say- for something that contained such an important item, with so much potential.

Taking extra care, probably more than was necessary, Percy untied the bow with extreme caution and gentle fingers that trembled slightly, though whether that was a result of his anxiety or the cold of the night air, none but he could tell for certain. The elegant sea-green bow all undone, the son of Poseidon set the box down on the ground before him, where it sank a the slightest of fractions down into the sand. He took in a sharp intake of breath as it did so- he was extraordinarily jumpy, it seemed- and another as he carefully pried open the lid and peeked at the single object inside.

It was a ring.

Like a princess put on display for a promenade or a beauty pageant of some sort, the ring sat there on its throne, a velvet pillow of plush that was likely more for appearance than cushioning purposes. The ring itself was beyond gorgeous: gleaming gold, the band of it polished till it shone. Detailed designs were engraved in it, and they seemed to move, dancing along the outer rim of the band like a menagerie of carousel animals found on a merry-go-round. If Percy looked closer, he could see miniscule, hand-crafted scenes painted and plastered on it, scenes that depicted every adventure he and Annabeth had ever been on. There, on the left, was a young boy with raven hair and a girl of the same age with a shock of blonde hair, together holding up a jagged lightning bolt in triumph. A few scenes down, an image of two young teens- once again, the same boy and girl- holding up the sky together where it connected with the earth at a single point, both of their hair succumbing to the grey that seemed to drip down their hair, tinging it that dull, marking color. And there, towards the end of the sequence of scenes, was a picture that saw the two young people- both of them older now, their grey streaks barely visible anymore- trekking through the depths of Tartarus on their most dangerous journey yet, their hands clasped together so that everyone- gods, demigods, Titans, giants, and every monster down there with them- would know that they were together, and always would be.

That wasn't the only impressive feature of the ring. The inside of the ring's band also contained marvelous detail, a result of excellent craftsmanship. Miniscule words that would be hard to decipher unless someone had a magnifying glass- which Percy did, having brought one for just this occasion- were scribbled in a handwriting identical to the son of Poseidon's. Two words: "Seaweed Brain"and "Wise Girl", joined together by a symbol that resembled an infinity sign, though slightly different, and the loops of the sign seemed to travel through the nicknames he and she had adopted for each other. They were words that united them, bonded them, made them what they were, and showed that they would always be together.

And if the band of the ring was gorgeous, then the stone itself was...exquisite. A shimmering diamond, which was centered in the middle, had been found by Percy one day when he'd gone deep-sea diving, to help him think through some things and consider if he really wanted to take this next big step in he and Annabeth's relationship. His answer had become a definite "yes", when he'd seen the large stone, because he figured a diamond that large and out-of-place (for certainly diamonds aren't usually found in the depths of the ocean) had to be a sign from the gods, a gift of sorts, to bless their marriage. The "blessed diamond" was flanked on either side by two smaller gems, one of them a remarkable red ruby and the other a surprisingly-appealing olive-colored peridot: Annabeth and Percy's birthstones, respectfully.

Percy exhaled slowly, and realized that he hadn't breathed once since he'd opened the box and inspected the ring for any signs of damage or imperfections. But he found nothing: a sign that although he and Annabeth, their relationship, and their lives weren't anywhere close to being perfect, a life and a marriage that the two of them shared together might become as close to it as possible.

Okay, Percy, he reminded himself. It's okay. Just breathe. Breathe.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the staggering hill that separated the two lovers for the moment, Annabeth had just exited her cabin, a thick Camp Jupiter hoodie now snugly pulled over her Camp Half-Blood t-shirt, in addition to an extra Roman sweatshirt for Percy and several thick blankets for the two of them to share in case it got even colder (which she secretly hoped it did, because then they would have to snuggle together to stay warm).

But before she completely left the large circle of cabins, the daughter of Athena stopped dead in her tracks, chancing a glance behind her as she stared in confusion at the buildings around her.

Where is everyone? she wondered.

It had taken her a moment to realize that the ring of cabins was completely devoid of all light and sound. Not a soul could be seen moving around the usually-brightly-lit cabins, or passing from one building to another, or milling around in the large field-like area in the center of the gatherings.

With an unconscious shrug and a slight frown, Annabeth turned away from the sight and headed back the path she came by, making her way towards that hill. But as she approached it, a sudden uproar, a sound like a hundred soccer fans all cheering at the World Cup, from the other side of one of the hills drew her attention away from her route. Curiously, she climbed the hill acting as a barrier between the noise and saw seemingly every camper except for herself and Percy seated at the long tables of the mess hall, possibly around two hundred Greek demigods. An additional three hundred or so people included Chiron, the Hunters of Artemis, all of the nearby nature spirits, and fauns, as well as all of the fauns and first-generation demigods that had come for the holidays from Camp Jupiter in San Francisco. She spotted all of her friends: Jason, Piper, Leo, Frank, Hazel, Grover, Juniper, Rachel, Reyna, Nico, Will, Katie, Travis, Connor, Clarisse...They were all there.

Ah, so that's where everyone is, she thought, then begrudgingly admitted as she watched them laugh and eat and play card games, Looks like fun.

No, no, no, she reprimanded herself as she turned away from the scene and climbed back over the hill towards Percy. You're not being fair to Percy. She could see him there, sitting on the beach by himself as he struggled to open the champagne with gods-know-what. He planned a nice date for the two of you, and you're going to enjoy it!

"Hey, Wise Girl!" Percy cried as he waved to her with one hand, using the other to shake up the bottle of champagne gleefully. Wait- what?

"Percy," she whispered, walking a little faster.

He just waved at her again, and continued to try to open the bottle. Which had now been thoroughly shaken.

But there's no way he'll end up opening it now, she reassured herself, slowing her pace a bit. Not before I get there. I've almost reached him anyway Besides, he's been trying for the past half hour and still hasn't got it. It'll be fine. At least, she thought it would be fine, until she saw him pull out the corkscrew. Oh dear gods, she thought.

"Percy!" she cried, rushing towards him, her arm held out in warning. She was really close to him; so close, in fact, that she could actually see the sparkling sea green color of his eyes. "Don't do it!"

But it was too late.

Holding the bottle at a 45 degree angle- the one thing he got right about opening a bottle of champagne- Percy pulled the cork out of the bottle in one swift motion using the corkscrew. Within a matter of seconds that seemed to transcend time and any means of measurement, the projectile flew through the air seemingly in slow motion. Down, down, down, it fell, and Annabeth watched it the entire time.

That is, of course, until it her in the eye.

"Annabeth!" she heard her boyfriend cry. She held her eye in pain, the cork fallen to the ground, looking dead and pitiful like a bee whose lost its stinger after it has already penetrated your skin. She heard a scuffling, like the sound of a dog traipsing throughout the yard, and her boyfriend appeared like a wizard at her side. "Annabeth!" he repeated. "Are you alright?"

She squinted up at him out of the eye that didn't feel like it was on fire, an expression she thought for sure made her look like a pirate. "Do I look alright?"

Percy visibly gulped, not sure how to respond to that question. Either way, the answer would be dodgy and questionable. "Um, I think you always look good." When she glared up at him from beneath the swollen monster that was her left eye, he quickly clarified, "But, as of right now, you look like you could use some lotion or something."

She stared up at him incredulously. "Lotion? In my eye?!"

"Oh, right, I guess that's not the best thing, is it?" Instead, he offered to carry her to the nurse's station in the Big House.

"I can still walk, y'know." She stood up with a huff, and rolled her eyes- er, eye, actually. Then she waved him off when he tried to help her stand. "No, no, I'm good."

"Really?" His expression of concern was replaced with doubt.

"Yeah, definitely."

"Okay..." He trailed off uncertainly, fairly sure that she was just trying to brush him off. "Well, do you want to go for a walk along the beach or something?" He asked, desperately trying to salvage the mood and piece together the fragments of the evening, which he had officially ruined.  
"Sure, why not?"

Utterly grateful at this lifeline that she was offering him, she grabbed hold of the chance and of her arm, as he had been taught by his mother that a gentleman should do. Together they set off down the beach, their arms linked together in contentment. It was a feeling that felt completely natural for the pair of lovers, as they had been going out for nearly 10 years now.

Percy Jackson stared out at the ocean, his face in a pleasant slump, his eyes earnest and open. They seemed to be trained on something in the distance, whether it was the sky, the horizon, or the water, only he seemed to know, and maybe not even him. Undoubtedly, it was a beautiful night. Sure, it was a little cool, but that just added to the overall atmosphere: love was in the air. The stars were out, clear as could be, and the moon was like a spotlight on Long Island Sound. The son of Poseidon suddenly had the deepest urge to jump out into the water and dance on its surface with his girlfriend, as he was certain he could keep them both atop.

"Percy?"

The sound of his girlfriend's voice startled him, and he started slightly at the sound.

"Gods, you're jumpy tonight, aren't you?" She observed, a small frown on her face.

"What? What do you mean? I'm not jumpy! What are you talking about? I'm not jumpy at all! I'm calm! Very calm! I'm as calm as can be! I've never been so calm in my entire life! Why, I'm so calm that-" He stopped suddenly, his words seemingly trailing off in the brisk night air like a flame as it is slowly extinguished; his voice just faded, swept up into the breeze cast in from the sound to their right.

Placing a knowing and loving hand on his shoulder, she asked him quietly as they slowed to a stop, "Seaweed Brain, what's bothering you?"

"I-" he hesitated, knowing that there was no way he could tell her what was really going on. He'd just have to make something up. "It's stress," he explained hurriedly. "From work. Being camp director now...it's tough. Having everyone come to me for the smallest stuff, like if one wrench is missing from the Hephaestus cabin, or if one little book is out of place in the Athena cabin." When she gave him a stern gaze, he continued, trying to make his reason more believable by adding more detail. "And not just the little things. The big stuff too. All of this stuff going on at camp. The Romans coming into town. Chiron officially stepping down this past summer. And then there's the constant threat of something happening to you, Wise Girl."

"What?" she scoffed, stepping back slightly. "You know you don't have to protect me, Percy. I'm a big girl now. I can take care of myself."

"I know you can. You've always been able to" he said, closing the gap that had been created when she pulled away. He placed a hand gently on her arm, and she looked down, somewhat self-consciously. "I just feel like I should always be there to take care of you, in case something happens."

She looked up from where her gaze had been, trained on the sandy floor below their bare feet. Then, letting a small smile creep onto her face, she repeated his own words to him: "We're staying together. You're not getting away from me. Never again."

He shared her smile, and finished the half of the conversation, "As long as we're together." They were words that over the past few years they had said to each other time and time again. It reminded them of how they had stuck together in Tartarus, and how they would always stick together, through thick and thin; as they had done so far, through graduating from high school, then college, then first day of new jobs, buying apartments (separate for now). All of it was a promise that they were together.

Should I do it now? He wondered. It seemed like the right time. But before he could open his mouth to get the words out, or even to begin his long speal he'd prepared for the occasion, her lips crashed onto his in an unexpected spree.

Unexpected, yes. But unwelcome? Never.

Returning her passionate feeling, Percy leaned forward into her, wrapping her deceivingly delicate frame in his arms as they stood on the shore, nearly standing in the water, though neither seemed to care. For a moment, it felt as though she was pulling away, and he wasn't ready for that. So, he leaned forward even more, so far that he nearly felt as if he were falling.

And then he really did fall.

"Gah!" screeched Annabeth, as she was thrown by the weight of Percy into the water, caught under the gravity of his falling body with no escape. She landed with a gigantic SPLOOSH, her head disappearing beneath the water, and only her feet visible in the shallow end.

Oh my gods. "Oh my gods, Annabeth!" He cried, staring at the scene before him in shock. There was no way he just did something that stupid. The sheer idiocy of it all would have been fairly funny had it not been for the seething look that his girlfriend wore when she sat up from the water.

"You," she sputtered, bits of seaweed, clumps of sand, and fragments of seashell all caught in her lovely blonde hair, now tained by salt water, "are so dead."

Trust me, I know, he thought, but instead said, "Annabeth, I am so so sorry. Are you okay? Here, let me help you." He extended a hand out towards her, trying to pull her up, but she denied his help with an angry splash, waving away his hand.

"No thanks," she said angrily, teeth gritted, as she stood up on her own. She hadn't meant for it to sound so mean, but she could tell by the hurt expression that briefly flashed across her boyfriend's face that the swerve had wounded him deeper than she'd intended.

"Annabeth, I- Now wait a minute," he said, starting to apologize but switching tactics when he saw how terribly she was shivering. Honestly, it seemed as though a chihuahua shook less than the daughter of Athena did now, her teeth chattering and her skin breaking out into goosebumps. Somewhere in their crash into the water, she had lost her jacket. It probably floated out into the sea, lost forever in the continuous churning and crashing of the sound. Though a fat load of good that jacket would have done now, seeing as it would be sopping wet.

"Let me at least dry you off," he offered, reaching forward to touch her hand, but withdrew it when she flinched at his touch.

"Sorry," she whispered, as if embarrassed about the recoil.

"Please," he said, somewhat surprised, "if either of us should be sorry, it's me for knocking you into the water." He grinned in satisfaction when he thought he saw the ghost of a smile flash across her face briefly, momentarily illuminated by the moon and the stars above. "Do you mind?" He asked, pointing to her hand to indicate that he was about to dry her. She shook her head, though whether that was a "yes", she did mind, or a "no", she didn't, he wasn't sure, but he took it as the "go" signal. Grabbing her hand softly, he entwined their fingers together like they always did when holding hands. He felt the water leave her like a puff of air, entering into his own body with a satisfying rush. He sighed, as did she.

"Thank you," she said, more confidently now than the whisper-voice she'd seemingly been stuck in before.

With Percy trailing obediently behind her, Annabeth waded out of the water's shallow end and onto the shore. Her footprints left distinctive tracks in her wake, and her boyfriend seemed to intentionally avoid stepping on them, as if it would be another part of the evening that he would spoil.

"Look, Percy," she began, turning around to face him. He stopped walking too, now that they had neared their little picnic area. "There's something I wanted to talk to you about."

He looked surprised, eyebrows raised, but nodded anyway. "Sure, go ahead."

"Well, it's about, um..." she looked around her, trying desperately to get out of a conversation that she had started, but didn't really want to finish. Her eyes landed on the picnic basket, set up on top of the red-and-white-checked blanket and next to the tall candles, dripping with red wax; the perfect romantic setting for a picnic. He really did plan for this date, she thought with a huge smile on her face. She skipped over to the scene and gestured at it wildly, saying, "The food! I'm really hungry. In fact, I'm starving. Let's eat! Okay?"

Percy nodded eagerly and knelt down next to her to open the basket. Once he did though, he looked rattled, completely floored. Somehow, from the horrific expression he wore, he managed, "Okay...Urrrr, actually, not okay. I think I kinda-sorta-really forgot the food."  
"What?"

"I know, I know, I know," he cried, panicked. He was visibly freaking out, waving his hands defensively and raking his hands through his hair, as if he equal parts didn't want her to hurt him for forgetting, but at the same time totally hating himself for screwing up another part of the evening. His frustration bled through into his voice when he spoke, too. "I'm really sorry, Annabeth. Gods, I'm such an idiot!" He cried, the meter of his voicing rising to the rate of a rapid heartbeat. The intensity behind it was enough to call up a big wave from the water, one large enough that when it crashed down in the turf, it managed to wash up all the way onto shore, only a foot or less from where he and Annabeth's feet lay.

"Percy-" she started, but he kept going, seemingly needing to let all the pent-up frustration out.

"It's just, gods, I planned so hard for this night. So hard. Like, I'm talking months in advance. I had everything laid out perfectly: the champagne, moonlit walk on the beach, romantic picnic; I even triple-checked the weather every day for a month to make sure the sky would be clear, and that we'd have a full moon. Seems like that's the only thing that really turned out alright."

He paused long enough from his tirade to look up at the sky, thinking about who-knows-what, and allowing a small smile to creep onto his face before it disappeared like a ghost. Either way, it seemed to calm him down, just for a moment or two, before he went on.

"You know, Annabeth, sometimes I wonder..." Sigh. "Why in Hades's name would you ever want a guy like me?" She opened her mouth to say something, but it seemed to be more of a rhetorical question, as he didn't pause long enough for her to speak. "I mean, I'm awkward, I fumble a lot, I screw everything up. I have the lamest jokes in the world. I've got a weird obsession with blue food. I can't ever seem to protect anyone."

He seemed to be on the verge of tears, and she knew that he was thinking of all the friends they'd lost over the years: Bianca, Zoe, Lee, Castor, Beckendorf, Silena, Luke. All good people, who had died because of choices they had made, though Percy seemed unable to grasp that, capable only of placing the blame on himself. For someone who had carried the sky and lived, she thought, Percy still carried a lot more weight in burden and blame than he was able to manage.

"Percy, look at me," she demanded, grasping his shoulder tightly. When he didn't look at her and only stared at his feet, she used her finger to guide his chin up so that their eyes would meet. "Seaweed Brain," she said more gently this time. "You are the absolute best thing that has ever happened to me. I love you, Seaweed Brain. Does anything else really matter?" He shook his head, and she nodded in satisfaction. "That's it then. Case closed."

"Not quite," he hinted, pulling away from her grip. He stood up, pulling her with him; he was now directly in front of her, their heads facing inwards, towards each other. Hers was an expression of open bewilderment, his of the complete definition of anxiety and nervousness.

"Annabeth Chase," he said, taking her hand in his. "I love you so much, more than you will ever know. You're everything I've ever wanted in a girl: you're breathtakingly gorgeous, the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. You're smart, not just for being a daughter of Athena but for figuring things out for yourself, when no one was there to do it for you. You're funny, but in a subtle way that other people might not get unless they know you or you open up to them. There are so many more things about you that I love, but I'm trying to wrap this up as soon as possible, because I'm already starting to pee on myself a little."

He looked down self-consciously, and when he peered back up, he saw a smile gleaming on Annabeth's face, and a few miniscule tears gathering in her glistening grey eyes.

"But you know what I love most about you, Annabeth Chase?" She shook her head, her blond hair whipping in the breeze that had picked up. "You've always been there for me. Always. I can remember the first day I met you: you told me I drooled when I sleep, and I can remember thinking, 'Wow, what a beautiful brat she is.'"

His girlfriend laughed as she thought about the memory, throwing her head back gleefully. He smiled. "Now, when I look at you, I see two things: my best friend, and my girlfriend, both of whom I've experienced a hell of a lot of things with. Maybe too many. Dam it, we've literally been through hell and back together. But you know what? I don't think I'd trade a day of it, even the time we spent in Tartarus, or holding up the weight of the entire sky, because all of it is just one more day, one more moment, that I got to spend with my Wise Girl."

He paused long enough to reach out lovingly with his hand, tucking away a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She lay her head down on the palm of his hand, nuzzling into his touch, but he pulled away to reach into his pocket, one hand still grasping onto her hand, like the anchor she had been for him when he'd bathed in the River Styx. Like the anchor that she still was for him every day.

"Annabeth," he began again, "we've been best friends now for nearly 15 years, which is a dam good amount, in my opinion. You've spent 5 of those years only as my best friend, and an addition decade being my girlfriend on top of that. But, as selfish as this may sound, I don't think I'm quite satisfied with that."

With her still standing, he sank down onto one knee, the grey box from before appearing in his open palm. He jerked off the bow in one swift movement, throwing it to the side with a grand flourish, and readied his hand over the lid to lift it up.

"It would be my greatest pleasure in the whole world, if you, Annabeth Chase, would do the honor of becoming my- Hold on. Are you laughing at me?"

And indeed she was. She didn't respond, only looked at him, her shoulders shaking with the effort of trying to conceal her giggles. But she failed, and when she finally broke, the sight was beautiful. A brilliant grin lit up her tanned face, which looked silvery and pale in the gleam from the moon above; both the smilie and the natural spotlight did wonders to light up the daughter of Athena's face. Her smile was enough to make him smile, she was just so beautiful. Even the tears streaming down her face were shining, though whether they were tears of joy or amusement, he couldn't tell. But he was definitely smart enough to know what his girlfriend's laugh sounded like, and that was it!

"You're laughing at me," he complained.

"I am not!" Though she was very clearly giggling like a maniac. The beautiful hypocrite.

"You are so not making this easy."

Then she laughed for real, and she put her hands around his neck. "I am never, ever going to make things easy for you, Seaweed Brain. Get used to it."

Percy threw his arms around her. They kissed, and for a moment, nothing else mattered. An asteroid could have hit the planet and wiped out all life, and Annabeth wouldn't have cared.

Suddenly, the son of Poseidon broke away, pulling back to look at his girlfriend. "Do you mind if I try this again? I kind of had this all planned out, so it would make me feel a little better if I said my stuff, and then got an actual confirmation from you. Do you mind?"

She let go of his hands as he sunk back down on one knee, her laughter still dying off. "Sure, Seaweed Brain. Go ahead."

"Okay, well here goes. I'm gonna keep this one much simpler," he promised, and she nodded with encouragement.

"Wise Girl," he asked, his sea-green eyes trained on her grey ones, "will you marry me?"

"Of course, Seaweed Brain! Yes!" she cried, and at the exact same time, he popped open the box (which he proved to be more skilled at than popping the cork off of a champagne bottle), and revealed the engagement ring in all its glory.

"Oh, Percy," she breathed, her misty eyes taking in the sight before her. He extracted it from its container and slipped it deftly onto her left ring finger. It fit like a glove, and it looked so natural there, like it had been holding that spot for 15 years, just for him and his ring. The sight of it must have also gotten to Annabeth, because big fat tears immediately welled up in her eyes, and began to streak down her cheeks. Normally, he might have made fun of her for crying so much, since she wasn't much of an emotional person. But the truth was, he was probably crying even more than she was.

"Do you like it?" he inquired, his voice thick with the effort of forcing back tears. "Tyson and Leo made it together, as a gift for the two of us."

"Oh, Percy," she repeated. "Oh, it's wonderful! Thank you, Seaweed Brain!"

He looked flabbergasted. "No, thank you, Wise Girl, for saying yes! Gods, I'm pretty sure I peed myself from all of that." He winced uncomfortably, and she laughed at the unpleasant grimace on his face. Her laugh, more beautiful than the sound of the purest bells ringing out in the street, spawned an enormous grin on his face. And for a few moments of blissful silence, Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase stared at nothing but each other and the ring that was just another thing to bond them. Silence, that was broken by him exclaiming:

"What a New Year's Eve this turned out to be!"

 **So, please tell me how you liked it! I would really love if you liked it, because I've never worked so hard on a one-shot before. (You guys I finish this it is literally 2:57 A.M...gods of Olympus help me.) Anyway, please follow, favorite, and review, because that would honestly mean the world to me if you would. Thank you for reading!**

 **Happy New Year, 2016!**

 **Love,**

 **~Princess Andromeda II**


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